Get the Skinny! This is just part of the article. Want the complete story, plus a host of other cutting-edge articles to make your job easier? Login or sign up!

The diagram Facial Reflex Zones (to the right) shows how the body’s internal organs correspond to specific zones on the face. There are many such maps throughout the body—they also exist in the ears, on the soles of the feet, on the hands and on the abdomen. These maps, each of which contains an array of points connecting to various body parts, are also known as holograms. This term will be explained later in this article.

When clients go to a skin care facilities, they often ask for help in beautifying or reducing the appearance of problem areas on their faces and elsewhere. Many people see these features as detracting from their attractiveness and self-esteem, and they deploy methods ranging from cosmetic cover-ups to harsh chemicals or surgery to make them go away. According to the science of holography, however, doing these things may be equivalent to shooting the messenger.

What is holography?

Just as shooting the ambassador from a hostile nation will not improve relations with that country and may provoke a war, covering up, bleaching or surgically removing an unsightly lesion usually does nothing to remedy the underlying imbalance in the body that caused it—and may worsen it. Holography is based on the principle that in living systems, each part contains an image of the whole. Holography even reveals direct connections between infinitesimally small subatomic particles and vast galaxies.

Want the rest of the story? Simply sign up. It’s easy. Plus, it only takes 1 minute and it’s free!

The term “hologram” originated with a form of three-dimensional photography invented by a Hungarian scientist. These are photos that allow the viewer to move the viewing angle and see around corners of the object in the photo, just as with real objects. This holographic principle applies to the human body, as well. As mentioned above, acupuncturists and reflexologists have long used holographic principles to effectively relieve pain and treat a myriad of health problems. Another name for these holographic body maps is “microsystems.”

Acupuncture facial diagnosis is based on the recognition that the health and vitality of each internal organ and energy system is reflected in predictable facial zones. Vertical lines on the brow reflect stress and tension in the liver. Darkness and bags under the eyes indicate weak fire energy of the kidneys. Deep crow’s-feet point to weakened function of the gall bladder. Those lines that form around 50-something women’s mouths reflect the decline of the function of their reproductive organs.

It is often remarked that some people have a healthy glow, and people flock to skin care professionals to help them achieve that. Although there are many methods for helping make a client’s face look more attractive, all the methods more or less fall into three main categories.

Methods that work superficially.

Methods that work systemically from the inside out.

Methods that do both.

Methods that work superficially. These include methods ranging from natural and gentle to harsh and invasive. Gentle methods include botanical and mineral applications, massage/acupressure, and low-intensity microcurrent and light therapies. The more invasive local methods include dermabrasion and other exfoliation methods, chemical peels, plastic surgery, fillers, Botox and thermal treatments. Also included in the invasive category would be strong electrical stimulation (galvanic) and intense pulsed light (IPL).

All of these methods can create younger-looking contours and fresher-looking skin. There are some drawbacks to the invasive procedures, however. In order to produce significantly noticeable results, these methods often need to be intense and are often disruptive to the subtle energy flows of the body. Some of these methods deliberately injure the sensitive tissues of the face, thereby triggering granulation of new cells in response to the minor wounds created.

There is a limit to what any of these methods can achieve if the inner terrain of the client’s body is stressed, toxic or imbalanced. It is common to meet people who have had lots of work on their faces or bodies, use the best skin products and dress fabulously, yet radiate unhappiness and discontent.

Methods that work systemically. As the Facial Reflex Zones diagram reveals, the face’s problem areas usually mirror imbalances in the internal organs, blood, qi (vital energy) and fluids. The most powerful stressors are the emotions; habitual feelings of negativity, anger and depression trigger the release of cortisol in the body, which makes clients look and feel more stressed. Happy, positive emotions promote the release of “happy” bio-chemicals, such as dopamine, endorphins and sex hormones that can make anyone look better. Methods that balance and heal the nervous system, help de-stress organs, tonify qi and blood, and promote emotional balance will improve the appearance and attractiveness of a person’s face. The holistic healing arts, such as acupuncture, nutrition, bodywork, homeopathy and energy healing promote these types of effects.

Methods that do both. There are treatments that facilitate both local and whole-body benefits. The most effective facial rejuvenation methods include the following.

Direct methods to lift and tone the tissue of the face with gentle, natural methods. It is your duty to do your best to provide the kinds of rapid, noticeable results clients are seeking. It is well-worth looking for those methods that achieve this with minimal or no use of invasive therapies.

Systemic treatments that improve organ and hormonal function, and the flow and balance of qi and blood throughout the body. It is outside the scope of practice for most estheticians to advertise that they provide health benefits to their clients; yet, many of these benefits show up anyway.

The side effects of facial rejuvenation

Many modern writers and researchers have written about the body’s information communication systems. According to accepted medical thinking, there are two primary communication pathways in the body: the nervous system (electrical communication) and the endocrine system (chemical communication).

Candace Pert and other writers have also described a third informational pathway that is even more subtle and instantaneous. This is based on minute substances called neuropeptides that are apparently produced by many tissues throughout the body, including the brain, heart, immune system, digestive system and blood cells. These peptides appear to flash into existence, instantly trigger a target tissue and then disappear. Peptides are strongly affected by mood and emotion. They appear to be a major link between thought, emotion, organs and the immune system; the mind-body link that acupuncture has been working with since ancient times.

Can this subtle, but immensely powerful neuropeptide system explain the whole-body healing effects of energy-based facial rejuvenation?

Microcurrent and light therapy

Light is a major basis of communication, information and the innate intelligence of the body. Microcurrent appears to act as a carrier for externally applied light, helping it penetrate more deeply into the body more easily. Microcurrent has powerful direct lifting and toning effects, as well as the ability to deliver many of the benefits of acupuncture when applied to appropriate points and zones. When microcurrent and therapeutic light are applied together, the rejuvenating effects are multiplied ... making this treatment combination fall into the category of treatment methods that facilitate both local and whole-body benefits. The combination of microcurrent and color light therapy, applied through special wands onto facial and body regions, may deliver superior results to microcurrent or light therapies being applied separately.

Not all systems applying energy to the face are created equal. Some produce more favorable local and whole-body effects. What makes the difference? The magic word is “resonance.” All parts of the body and internal energy systems are exquisitely sensitive to vibrations, or frequencies. The most effective treatment systems are those that use greater precision in applying frequencies of microcurrent and wavelengths (colors) of light that positively resonate with cells, organs, glands and tissues.

When the correct energy vibrations are applied, high currents or bright light are not needed to produce good results. In many cases, the lower the level of stimulation, the better. The combination of microcurrent and light therapy, and other gentle energy systems, can be used in both esthetic and medical/healing arts businesses.

Skin care professionals who understand this principle of inner balance = outer beauty, and utilize gentle and effective energy therapies for facial rejuvenation may be able to provide a more profound level of service to their clients. This is possible because the face is a two-way holographic gateway to the entire body, mind and spirit.

Darren Starwynn has 30 years of clinical experience in acupuncture and energy medicine, and is the president of Eastwestmed, Inc. He is a writer, inventor and researcher, and can be contacted at dstarwynn@eastwestmed.com.